Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals are on the alcohol misuse database in each health board area expressed as a percentage of the population in each area and as an overall percentage of misusers, and what the nearest equivalent figures are for each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: There is no national alcohol misuse database. While some health boards do collect information about the level of alcohol misuse in their area, this information varies from board to board and is not collated nationally.

Bridges

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why lighting was active on Kincardine Bridge in daylight on the afternoon of 10 September 2001; on what dates and for what reason any similar situation has arisen since AMEY Highways Ltd took over the maintenance contract from April 2001, and why the bridge’s "magic eye" system was not operational.

Sarah Boyack: Following recent repairs to electrical equipment on Kincardine Bridge, the road lighting was subject to extensive testing between 4 and 17 September 2001 to check the performance of the system. During this period the "magic eye" was de-activated and the lighting was on 24 hours a day. The tests confirmed that the system is operating satisfactorily and the "magic eye" has been re-activated.

Drug Misuse

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many drug-related deaths there have been so far this year and in each of the last five years, broken down by health board area and expressed as a percentage of the population in each area.

Iain Gray: Published information is available for 1995-99 and this is given in the table. Data covering 2000 will be published by the General Register Office for Scotland before the end of September.

  Drug-related deaths, by health board area, 1995-99.

  Number and rate per 100,000 population.*

  


Health board area 
  

1995 
  

1996 
  

1997 
  

1998 
  

1999 
  



No. 
  

Rate 
  

No. 
  

Rate 
  

No. 
  

Rate 
  

No. 
  

Rate 
  

No. 
  

Rate 
  



Scotland 
  

251 
  

4.9 
  

267 
  

5.2 
  

263 
  

5.1 
  

276 
  

5.4 
  

340 
  

6.6 
  



Argyll & Clyde 
  

24 
  

5.5 
  

19 
  

4.4 
  

20 
  

4.7 
  

26 
  

6.1 
  

29 
  

6.8 
  



Ayrshire & Arran 
  

17 
  

4.5 
  

12 
  

3.2 
  

9 
  

2.4 
  

7 
  

1.9 
  

29 
  

7.7 
  



BORDERs 
  

1 
  

0.9 
  

2 
  

1.9 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

0.9 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

5 
  

3.4 
  

3 
  

2.0 
  

11 
  

7.5 
  

6 
  

4.1 
  

9 
  

6.1 
  



Fife 
  

5 
  

1.4 
  

10 
  

2.9 
  

20 
  

5.7 
  

15 
  

4.3 
  

11 
  

3.2 
  



Forth Valley 
  

9 
  

3.3 
  

6 
  

2.2 
  

11 
  

4.0 
  

9 
  

3.3 
  

19 
  

6.8 
  



Grampian 
  

15 
  

2.8 
  

31 
  

5.8 
  

27 
  

5.1 
  

31 
  

5.9 
  

42 
  

8.0 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

98 
  

10.7 
  

96 
  

10.6 
  

69 
  

7.6 
  

94 
  

10.3 
  

112 
  

12.4 
  



Highland 
  

3 
  

1.4 
  

4 
  

1.9 
  

3 
  

1.4 
  

3 
  

1.4 
  

8 
  

3.8 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

16 
  

2.9 
  

13 
  

2.3 
  

22 
  

3.9 
  

28 
  

5.0 
  

27 
  

4.8 
  



Lothian 
  

40 
  

5.2 
  

53 
  

6.9 
  

46 
  

6.0 
  

37 
  

4.8 
  

38 
  

4.9 
  



Orkney 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

5.1 
  

1 
  

5.0 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

5.1 
  



Shetland 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

4.3 
  

1 
  

4.3 
  

1 
  

4.4 
  

- 
  

- 
  



Tayside 
  

18 
  

4.6 
  

16 
  

4.1 
  

23 
  

5.9 
  

18 
  

4.6 
  

14 
  

3.6 
  



Western Isles 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

- 
  

1 
  

3.6 
  



  * Rates per 100,000 are given instead of percentages as the latter would be very small (the largest would be 0.01 per cent).

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to establish additional drug detoxification facilities.

Iain Gray: It is for Drug Action Teams, in conjunction with local authorities, health boards and other key partner agencies, to determine what additional drug treatment and rehabilitation facilities are required locally, depending on local need and circumstances.

Drug Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that clear protocols and guidance on the dispensing of methadone are established.

Iain Gray: Best practice governing substitute prescription of opiates, including guidance on dispensing, is set out in Drug Misuse and Dependence – Guidelines on Clinical Management (1999) . There are no plans to review these guidelines. Decisions about the use of methadone as a treatment model are taken by clinicians on a case by case basis.

Education

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to increase training opportunities for classroom assistants.

Mr Jack McConnell: In April 1999, the classroom assistants working group, established by the Scottish Office, issued implementation guidance to local authorities and schools. In addition the working group recommended that a national qualification be developed. The Scottish Office commissioned the Scottish Qualifications Authority to develop a professional development award (PDA) for classroom assistants. SEED participated in a LGNTO group that has recently completed the development of occupational standards for teaching/classroom assistants, from which an SVQ is being developed for classroom assistants.

  SEED are taking forward work identified in A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century to look at the career progression of support staff, including classroom assistants which will also consider training requirements of support staff.

Education

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to respond to the report, Citizens of a Multilingual World , produced by the action group for languages.

Mr Jack McConnell: I have today published my response to the recommendations made by the action group which set out to improve support for language education in Scottish schools. Copies of the response have been placed in the Parliament’s reference centre (Bib. number 16335) and will be distributed widely within the education system and industry.

Environment

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been consulted on the implications for devolved matters of any proposals to permit trains carrying radioactive waste to travel at more than 45 mph.

Rhona Brankin: There have been no such consultations.

Environment

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the appeal by West of Scotland Water in June 1996 against the consents for discharges into the River Esk lodged by Solway River Purification Board on 28 March 1996 will be determined.

Rhona Brankin: The department expect to be in a position soon to write to the water authority and to Scottish Environment Protection Agency to issue the Scottish ministers’ decision. You will, therefore, appreciate that, at this stage, it is not appropriate for ministers to comment in any detail on the issues raised in the appeal.

Examinations

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers recruited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority were requested to mark additional examination scripts this year and how many such scripts were involved.

Mr Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements for the allocation of scripts to markers are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

  On 16 May the National Exams Co-ordinator asked Directors of Education to release existing markers from school to mark additional scripts for a number of subjects where there was a marker shortfall. The allocation of scripts to each marker depended on the subject concerned and on the number of markers recruited.

  The SQA’s normal marker recruitment process continued in tandem with these contingency plans.

Examinations

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers marking additional examination scripts were allocated days away from the classroom in order to carry out this task and how many absence days in total this accounted for in schools.

Mr Jack McConnell: I refer to my response to S1W-18720 on the allocation of additional scripts. Markers carried out additional marking either in their own time or, where schools were willing to release them, in school time. The Scottish Executive does not hold the information that you have requested. Arrangements for the release of teachers from schools to carry out marking are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

Examinations

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of providing supply teachers to cover for teachers absent from school to mark additional examination scripts and whether all vacancies created by such absences were filled.

Mr Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements for the release of teachers from schools to carry out marking are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

  I refer to my responses to questions S1W-17820 and S1W-17821 on the marking of additional scripts. Where teachers were released by their centres to mark examination scripts, SQA met the cost incurred by the centres involved.

Examinations

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the cost of recruiting supply teachers to cover for teachers absent from school to mark additional examination scripts compares with the cost of paying teachers the agreed rate per script, plus a small gratuity.

Mr Jack McConnell: Specific arrangements for the release of teachers from schools to carry out marking are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

  The rate at which teachers are paid to mark examination scripts varies by subject and therefore a direct comparison with the costs of supply cover is difficult. The basis on which markers are paid, including the variation in script rates, is currently being reviewed by a group led by the Scottish Executive.

Examinations

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Higher Still and (b) Standard Grade examination scripts were marked in total.

Mr Jack McConnell: It is currently estimated that just under 2 million scripts for National Qualifications (including standard grade) were marked in 2001, however I will ask the Chair of the Scottish Qualifications Authority to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

Examinations

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what total budget was available for marking (a) Higher Still and (b) Standard Grade examination scripts.

Mr Jack McConnell: Precise details of the marking process and its costs are a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority, and I will ask the Chair to write to you with a more detailed response to your query.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with HM Treasury ministers on the Barnett formula since May 1999.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues including the Barnett formula.

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of agreed spending on Public/Private Partnership and Private Finance Initiative projects in each of the next five years, broken down by each of its departments and by local authority area.

Angus MacKay: The following tables set out the most recent figures available for estimated payments on Public/Private Partnerships and Private Finance Initiative projects for signed deals broken down sector by sector including local authorities. The annual public expenditure required to service these projects and their lifetime costs are matters of commercial confidentiality between the public sector bodies concerned and their contractors, therefore the figures are aggregated.

  


FE/HE 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

4.2 
  



2002-03 
  

4.8 
  



2003-04 
  

4.9 
  



2004-05 
  

4.7 
  



2005-06 
  

4.7 
  



  


Health 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

38 
  



2002-03 
  

64 
  



2003-04 
  

85 
  



2004-05 
  

87 
  



2005-06 
  

87 
  



  


Justice 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

15 
  



2002-03 
  

15 
  



2003-04 
  

16 
  



2004-05 
  

16 
  



2005-06 
  

16 
  



  


Total Local Authorities 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

48.3 
  



2002-03 
  

68.7 
  



2003-04 
  

72.4 
  



2004-05 
  

73.4 
  



2005-06 
  

72.2 
  



  


National Roads & Transport 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

20.4 
  



2002-03 
  

21.3 
  



2003-04 
  

23 
  



2004-05 
  

21.3 
  



2005-06 
  

20.4 
  



  


Nationalised Industries 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

1.3 
  



2002-03 
  

1.3 
  



2003-04 
  

1.4 
  



2004-05 
  

1.4 
  



2005-06 
  

1.5 
  



  


Social Work 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

1.4 
  



2002-03 
  

1.4 
  



2003-04 
  

1.4 
  



2004-05 
  

1.5 
  



2005-06 
  

1.5 
  



  


Water & Sewerage 
  






£ million 
  



2001-02 
  

54 
  



2002-03 
  

67.4 
  



2003-04 
  

92.1 
  



2004-05 
  

94.6 
  



2005-06 
  

95.9

Finance

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when final outturn figures will be available of its spending in 2000-01.

Angus MacKay: The accounts for 2000-01 are currently being audited and, as set out in statute, will be laid before Parliament no later than 31 December 2001. End-year flexibility entitlement is agreed with the Treasury on the basis of estimated outturn.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has seen the impact study from Barony College which outlines the college’s losses as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and suggests a positive role for the college in national recovery from the epidemic and, if so, what its response is to the study.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Yes. The study is addressed to the Scottish Further Education Funding Council, which is responsible for the public funding of Scotland’s FE colleges.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations the Scottish Further Education Funding Council has received with regard to any losses sustained by Barony College as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Dumfriesshire and what proposals have been made to assist the college.

Ms Wendy Alexander: I understand that these matters were discussed at a meeting between the Scottish Further Education Funding Council and Barony College on 18 June, and that Barony College has submitted to the council two impact studies, dated April and July 2001.

  The council has also sought information from Scotland’s FE colleges on the impact of foot-and-mouth disease, by issuing a circular letter to all colleges on 28 August which invited responses by 21 September. It will be for the council to determine what action, if any, to take, in light of the responses received.

Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council with regard to assisting higher educational institutions which have experienced unexpected losses as a result of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Further Education Funding Council has kept the Scottish Executive advised of its actions - the consideration of this matter at the council’s meeting on 5 July and the issue of a circular letter to colleges on 28 August seeking information on the impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. However, the public funding of individual colleges remains the responsibility of the Funding Council.

Fuel Prices

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what new steps it has taken or intends to take in response to the findings of the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee’s Report on the Inquiry into Fuel Prices in Remote Rural Areas .

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive’s response to the committee’s report was sent to its Convener on 27 August, after lengthy consideration.

  The report recognised that the tax-varying proposals being put forward to address the higher cost of fuel in rural areas are reserved to the UK Government. It also acknowledged that the Executive has already put into place many measures which will help to mitigate the effects of higher rural fuel prices. We have:

  increased the Rural Transport Fund to £18 million over three years, funding some 380 new and improved public transport services;

  used the Rural Petrol Station Grant scheme to fund structural improvements at 24 vital rural petrol stations;

  increased funding in Scotland for the Powershift Liquefied Petroleum Gas vehicle conversion scheme by £900,000 over the next three years, and

  introduced, with the UK Government and Shell UK, an initiative to deliver 23 new LPG outlets in rural areas.

  We will continue to press Scotland’s interests on taxation, as on other reserved matters, through the Scotland Office and through direct contacts with UK ministers. We will also continue to develop effective measures of direct benefit to rural communities, and remain open to imaginative and innovative proposals.

Housing

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will, after consultation, establish a model for the maximum number of housing units to be managed by a registered social landlord (RSL), as recommended in the 3rd Report, 2000 of the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee, Housing Stock Transfer .

Jackie Baillie: Scottish Homes will shortly issue a consultation paper setting out proposed criteria to be used in considering applications from social landlords wishing to be become RSLs. This will invite views on the registration procedures in respect of very large and very small prospective RSLs.

Industry

Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Manufacturing Steering Group last met, when it next plans to meet and whether the group still has a contribution to make.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Manufacturing Steering Group last met on 31 March 2000. The work of the group led to the establishment of the Manufacturing Image Group in June 2000 and the development of a number of initiatives as set out in Created in Scotland – the Way Forward for Scottish Manufacturing in the 21st Century . A key initiative has been our campaign to counter the prejudice and misconceptions which discourage many young people from considering employment opportunities in this sector. The campaign takes the form of locally held roadshows. It has recently been agreed to extend the pilot to Ayrshire, Glasgow and Angus this year.

  Other initiatives in Created in Scotland in the field of skills, financial assistance and advice are being taken forward by the Scottish Executive and the Enterprise Networks. For example, approximately 18,000 people are currently in training as part of the modern apprenticeships programme.

Lifelong Learning

Mr Kenneth Macintosh (Eastwood) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in the review of Education for Work and Enterprise.

Nicol Stephen: I am today chairing the first meeting of an Education for Work Review Group to assess the effectiveness of Education for Work activities in schools and the scope to improve them throughout Scotland. Membership of the group is drawn from a wide range of experienced practitioners in education and business. The review group will report in the summer of 2002. A copy of the review group membership and remit is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Ministerial Correspondence

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the remit and function of its Correspondence Unit are.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which minister has responsibility for the operation of its Correspondence Unit.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the guidelines issued to ministers with regard to response to letters from MSPs.

Mr Tom McCabe: I am the minister responsible for the Correspondence Unit. Its function is to deal with correspondence written to ministers as described in the Good Practice Guide to Ministerial Correspondence, which is available to all members of the Scottish Executive and staff on the local intranet and in booklet format. Arrangements have been made for copies of the booklet to be available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre. No separate guidance has been issued to ministers. All ministers are made aware of the importance of providing comprehensive and timeous replies to correspondence.

Nuclear Submarines

Colin Campbell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17309 by Rhona Brankin on 21 August 2001, whether it is aware that Mellon Charles near Aultbea was sited as an example of a land storage site for cut-out submarine reactors in a report by Lancaster University for the Ministry of Defence.

Rhona Brankin: Yes, I am aware that it was an example among many that the Ministry of Defence considered in its review of options for the storage of reactor compartments. I understand that the role of the University of Lancaster was to undertake, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence, a public consultation on this issue.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will give a substantive answer to question S1W-15829 lodged on 18 May 2001.

Angus MacKay: Question S1W-15829 was answered on 26 September.

Police

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ask to make a ministerial statement to the Parliament on the continuing efforts by Shirley McKie to obtain compensation from Strathclyde Police following her acquittal on a charge of perjury at the High Court in Glasgow in May 1999.

Iain Gray: The question of compensation from Strathclyde Police is a matter for Ms McKie and her legal representatives on the one hand and Strathclyde Police on the other.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources will be made available to Lothian and BORDERs Police in respect of increased visits to the Parliament and Edinburgh by high profile or VIP visitors and tourists.

Mr Jim Wallace: £117,436 is being made available to Lothian and BORDERs Police this year for their Parliamentary Police Unit to supplement funding provided by the Parliament. The additional funding will enable Lothian and BORDERs to maintain an enhanced police presence in or around the area of the Parliament during periods in which the Parliament itself is in recess.

Public Sector

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it receives information as part of the joint staffing watch survey on the number of staff employed by local authorities as graduate trainees or as sandwich year students.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not receive such information as part of the joint staffing watch survey (JSW). The JSW collects information on numbers of staff employed in local authorities broken down by department and salary band.

Public Sector

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many graduate traineeships or sandwich year places, in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body, it provides annually.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive does not offer a fixed number of vocational placements for students. Numbers vary depending on opportunities available each year. Sixty-one places have been provided so far this year.

Public Sector

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it holds information on the average age of staff employed by local authorities under each of the departmental headings used in the joint staffing watch survey.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive does not hold information on the average age of staff employed by local authorities under each of the departmental headings used in the Joint Staffing Watch Survey. However, information on age is held for teachers employed by local authorities. The Scottish Executive carries out a periodic census of teachers working in schools during a given week in September. Individual teachers provide a range of data, including their date of birth, which allows average age to be computed. Information on the average age of publicly funded   school   teachers is given in Table 3, page 3 of Teachers in Scotland: September 1998 published by the Scottish Executive in 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 16320).

Public Sector

Iain Smith (North-East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it has regarding the provision of graduate traineeships and sandwich year placements, in fields where vocational experience is required for professional recognition by an institute or other body, within its own departments or in non-departmental public bodies.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive aims to respond positively to any vocational placement requests it receives, from students or educational establishments. The Executive actively promotes student placements within its core departments and its agencies, and encourages managers to identify suitable places and projects wherever possible. NDPB participation is a matter for those organisations to consider.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the current situation in terms of competition on routes between FirstGroup and Lothian Buses is in the best interests of public transport services and fare paying passengers in Edinburgh.

Sarah Boyack: The Executive has not made an assessment of the competition on routes between First Group and Lothian Buses in Edinburgh. It is for the City of Edinburgh Council to develop its Local Transport Strategy and other relevant general policies in the light of public transport provision, and to consider whether it needs to act to improve matters using the powers available to it in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take regarding FirstGroup’s recent changes in relation to its bus services in Edinburgh.

Sarah Boyack: The Traffic Commissioner is responsible for ensuring that local bus services are operated under the terms of the Transport Act 1985 and associated regulations. In addition, the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 provides powers for local authorities to make Quality Partnership schemes, or with the approval of Scottish ministers, Quality Contract schemes and the Executive would consider any such application timeously.

  However, I understand that the Office of Fair Trading has commenced an investigation under section 25 of the Competition Act 1998 into FirstEdinburgh’s recent actions in the wider Edinburgh bus market area.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the shortest possible timescale is within which a quality contract scheme for bus operation could be implemented in Edinburgh following a request for such a scheme from the local authority.

Sarah Boyack: The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 provides for a quality contract to come into operation not earlier than six months from the date the contract was let, or an earlier date if that is specified in the proposed quality contract scheme. A proposed quality contract requires the approval of Scottish ministers before it can be implemented, and I would consider any such application timeously. The overall timescale for progressing a quality contract proposal, assuming that ministerial approval is forthcoming, is a matter within the control of the local authority concerned.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce any emergency and/or amending legislation to allow quality contracts to be invoked quicker than would otherwise be the case in Edinburgh in view of the current situation there.

Sarah Boyack: No. The Executive has already brought forward new powers under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 which enable local authorities to make quality contract schemes. As my answer to S1W-17794 makes clear, the timescale for progressing a quality contract proposal is a matter within the control of the local authority concerned, subject to ministerial approval.

Rail Freight

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the Strategic Rail Authority will produce and publish for the Scottish Executive the rail freight strategy for Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: I understand that the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) hope to publish their rail freight strategy for Scotland later this year. In April, the Scottish Executive commissioned consultants to carry out a study to take a strategic view of the potential for developing sustainable freight movements across the whole of Scotland. The outcome of this study will assist in the forthcoming discussions we are to have with the SRA to develop that strategy.

Rail Network

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Railtrack regarding single track rail lines in the north east of Scotland.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Railtrack on a wide range of issues.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the progress of its involvement in the preliminary work being carried out on the Aberdeen western peripheral route and when it will make a decision on whether the project will be added to its road building programme.

Sarah Boyack: The development of the proposed Aberdeen western peripheral route is being taken forward by Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils in the context of their planned Modern Transport System. As part of its support for that system, the Scottish Executive is extending the Central Scotland Transport Model (now the Transport Model for Scotland) to the north-east. This will provide reliable and up to date transport data vital to the assessment of major transport projects. In light of this investment, it would be premature to make a decision on the Aberdeen western peripheral route before the Transport Model for Scotland is functional.

Schools

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the recent £12 million schools repairs announcement by local authority, showing how much each local authority’s allocation is per head of population and per school, and whether it will give any equivalent figures for each of the last three years.

Mr Jack McConnell: The information requested is given in the table. The distribution of the School Buildings Improvement Fund was not made on the basis either of the population or number of schools in each authority’s area. It was made on the basis of the education element of the formula which is used for the allocation of capital consents for local authority non-housing programmes. The formula was drawn up in consultation with COSLA. This is the first year in which the School Buildings Improvement Fund has been available.

  School Buildings Improvement Fund.

  





Amount per Head of Population 
  

Amount per School 
  



Scotland 
  

£2.35 
  

£4,195.80 
  



Aberdeen City 
  

£1.76 
  

£4,592.59 
  



Aberdeenshire 
  

£2.32 
  

£2,949.72 
  



Angus 
  

£2.53 
  

£4,000.00 
  



Argyll & Bute 
  

£2.93 
  

£2,600.00 
  



Clackmannanshire 
  

£2.35 
  

£4,750.00 
  



Dumfries & Galloway 
  

£2.31 
  

£2,533.83 
  



Dundee City 
  

£2.25 
  

£6,173.08 
  



East Ayrshire 
  

£2.45 
  

£4,933.33 
  



East Dunbartonshire 
  

£2.75 
  

£5,648.15 
  



East Lothian 
  

£2.30 
  

£5,121.95 
  



East Renfrewshire 
  

£2.66 
  

£7,242.42 
  



Edinburgh, City of 
  

£1.73 
  

£5,560.28 
  



Eilean Siar 
  

£3.90 
  

£2,000.00 
  



Falkirk 
  

£2.22 
  

£5,095.24 
  



Fife 
  

£2.36 
  

£4,543.96 
  



Glasgow City 
  

£2.05 
  

£4,404.93 
  



Highland 
  

£2.59 
  

£2,426.01 
  



Inverclyde 
  

£2.66 
  

£5,113.64 
  



Midlothian 
  

£2.60 
  

£4,652.17 
  



Moray 
  

£2.42 
  

£3,814.81 
  



North Ayrshire 
  

£2.40 
  

£4,970.15 
  



North Lanarkshire 
  

£2.66 
  

£5,178.57 
  



Orkney Islands 
  

£4.00 
  

£2,785.71 
  



Perth & Kinross 
  

£2.23 
  

£3,311.11 
  



Renfrewshire. 
  

£2.34 
  

£5,830.99 
  



Scottish BORDERs 
  

£2.39 
  

£3,109.76 
  



Shetland Islands 
  

£3.83 
  

£1,954.55 
  



South Ayrshire 
  

£2.42 
  

£4,758.62 
  



South Lanarkshire 
  

£2.59 
  

£5,096.15 
  



Stirling 
  

£2.50 
  

£3,803.57 
  



West Dunbartonshire 
  

£2.61 
  

£5,613.64 
  



West Lothian 
  

£2.57 
  

£5,025.00

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Scottish Criminal Record Office intends to take with regard to the four fingerprint officers presently under suspension as a result of the Shirley McKie case.

Iain Gray: Formal responsibility for the civilian staff at the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) rests with Strathclyde joint police board. While the decisions in respect of the four suspended officers will be for the joint board to take and to justify, the joint board will continue to work closely with the SCRO Executive Committee in deciding whether there are or are not grounds in this case for initiating formal disciplinary procedures.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Mr David Davidson (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what expenses were paid to the First Minister and to each minister and junior Scottish minister in 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

Angus MacKay: Ministers are reimbursed for expenditure incurred in the course of their official duties. Reimbursement is made in accordance with standard Civil Service procedures. These costs are set out in the following table. Other costs such as travel, both within the UK and abroad, are paid direct to suppliers by the Scottish Executive – these costs are excluded from the figures given. The figures also exclude costs reimbursed to ministers when public transport has been used instead of the Government Car Service for home to office travel.

  

 

July 1999 – March 2000* 
  

April 2000 – March 2001* 
  



First Minister 
  



Henry McLeish 
  

£3,429 
  

£3,177 
  



Scottish Ministers 
  



Wendy Alexander 
  

£1,315 
  

£4,336 
  



Jackie Baillie 
  

£1,234 
  

£965 
  



Sarah Boyack 
  

£1,094 
  

£1,131 
  



Susan Deacon 
  

£504 
  

£746 
  



Ross Finnie 
  

£6,527 
  

£4,465 
  



Angus MacKay 
  

£306 
  

£1,322 
  



Tom McCabe 
  

£239 
  

£354 
  



Jack McConnell 
  

£941 
  

£1,005 
  



Jim Wallace 
  

£363 
  

£679 
  



Deputy Scottish Ministers 
  



Rhona Brankin 
  

£1,665 
  

£1,874 
  



Malcolm Chisholm 
  

NIL 
  

NIL 
  



Margaret Curran 
  

NIL 
  

£210 
  



Iain Gray 
  

£311 
  

£158 
  



Lewis Macdonald 
  

NIL 
  

NIL 
  



Alasdair Morrison 
  

£3,941 
  

£2,060 
  



Peter Peacock 
  

£1,101 
  

£2,601 
  



Euan Robson 
  

NIL 
  

NIL 
  



Nicol Stephen 
  

£3,134 
  

£201 
  



Allan Wilson 
  

NIL 
  

£90 
  



  


Former Holders of Scottish Ministerial Appointments 
  



Donald Dewar 
  

£951 
  

£2,340 
  



Sam Galbraith 
  

£207 
  

£658 
  



John Home-Robertson 
  

£2,306 
  

£2,504 
  



Frank McAveety 
  

£1,313 
  

£900 
  



Tavish Scott 
  

NIL 
  

NIL 
  



Iain Smith 
  

£216 
  

£76 
  



  *All amounts have been rounded up or down to the nearest £1.

  Notes:

  The costs shown include hotel accommodation charges.

  Levels of reimbursement are the same as for Scottish Executive staff and are approved annually by the Inland Revenue.

  Information on costs reimbursed to the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Scottish Higher Education Funding Council

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council uses in deciding whether the quality of provision in higher education institutions is not satisfactory.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) has undertaken assessment of teaching quality on behalf of the SHEFC since the start of academic year 2000-01. Details of the new system can be found on the QAA website (www.qaa.ac.uk).

  No reports have yet been published under the new methodology.

Scottish Higher Education Funding Council

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many times in each of the last three years the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has taken back resources from a higher education institute because the quality of provision was unsatisfactory.

Ms Wendy Alexander: None. The first round of quality assessments ended in 1997-99, and the second began in 2000-01. No quality assessment reports have been produced in the last three years.

Suicide

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin & Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on its commitment to address the rate of suicide amongst young men.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are committed to improving the health of young people and working to reduce the rate of suicides among young people and we will report on progress in our forthcoming Social Justice Annual Report.

  We plan to issue widely in October 2001 our consultation document National Framework for the Prevention of Suicide and Deliberate Self-harm in Scotland. Copies will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  In addition, our preparatory work continues for the introduction of a telephone helpline for people with low mood or depression. Arrangements for the launch will be announced in due course.

Telecommunications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its policy of zonal aggregated public sector procurement for telecommunications, as set out in Connecting Scotland: our broadband future , will first allow access for small- and medium-sized enterprise in rural areas to broadband facilities at prices comparable to that of Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line in cities.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Aggregated public sector procurement of telecommunications will be tested initially in two pathfinder areas. Our aim is that, by guaranteeing a substantial volume of public sector demand, telecommunications companies are also encouraged to increase supply of higher bandwidth commercial services to the benefit of rural businesses. However, provision of services will be a commercial matter for the telecoms providers according to demand. The Executive recognises, however, that there may be benefit in steps to stimulate private sector demand. We will be working with the enterprise agencies and with DTI to develop measures to stimulate demand.

Telecommunications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what minimum technical service standards, in respect of (a) upstream bandwidth, (b) downstream bandwidth, (c) network latency, (d) internet protocol standard, (e) target availability per annum, (f) mean time between failure and (g) mean time to repair, its policy of zonal aggregated public sector procurement for telecommunications, as set out in Connecting Scotland: our broadband future , will deliver.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Precise requirements are currently being determined and are expected to vary depending on service area. For example, requirements for a hospital will not be the same as for a GP or a school.

Telecommunications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its policy of zonal aggregated public sector procurement for telecommunications, as set out in Connecting Scotland: our broadband future , will come into operation in rural areas outwith South of Scotland and Highlands and Islands.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Aggregated procurement is a new approach which we are testing first in pathfinder areas. The procurement process is likely to be lengthy, and contracts will have to be fulfilled, before any formal evaluation and consideration of wider deployment can proceed. However, in the meantime, this will not preclude local authorities in other areas considering the potential benefits of a similar approach themselves. We will be keeping local authorities informed, via COSLA, of the progress of the project.

Telecommunications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its policy of zonal aggregated public sector procurement for telecommunications, as set out in Connecting Scotland: our broadband future , will deliver access to broadband facilities in the Banff & Buchan parliamentary constituency.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive will decide, in the light of experience in pathfinder areas and developments in the telecommunications market, at what stage and how it should support aggregated procurement in zones other than pathfinder areas. Lessons from pathfinders will be passed to other parts of Scotland such that partners may themselves pursue aggregation. We also expect that there will be some areas where the market will supply services without such action on the part of the public sector.

Telecommunications

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when its policy of zonal aggregated public sector procurement for telecommunications, as set out in Connecting Scotland: our broadband future , will deliver for private businesses bandwidths of at least eight megabits per second downstream and at least 512 kilobits per second upstream in under half a second for internet protocol serviced connections to the internet.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Executive cannot specify speed, or capacity of telecoms services to be made available to the private sector. This is a commercial matter for the telecoms providers and will depend upon demand. Our proposals for aggregated public sector procurement of telecoms connectivity aims to provide certainty and a volume of revenue to a supplier that should stimulate them also to provide more extensive and affordable services to businesses and individuals.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how local loop unbundling will benefit the economy.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Local loop unbundling (LLU) can benefit the economy by being one of the delivery mechanisms for broadband access. LLU allows operators to offer "always on" higher speed services such as ADSL directly to business and residential customers in competition with BT’s services. It also allows operators to offer wholesale ADSL access to service providers in competition with BT’s wholesale products. Competition helps to reduce prices and increase choice for broadband access, the availability of which is seen as key to the development of the "e-economy". Oversight of local loop unbundling is an aspect of telecommunications regulation and is a reserved matter.

  LLU is only one of a number of delivery mechanisms for broadband. Cable modems, satellite, fixed wireless and 3G mobile can all offer broadband services with some having a wider geographic reach than current DSL technology. Services using some of these delivery mechanisms are now available while others are due to be rolled out in the near future.

  The Executive’s broadband strategy, Connecting Scotland: our broadband future aims to stimulate providers to offer a wider range of higher bandwidth services to business and individuals.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for local loop unbundling throughout Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Operators can order unbundling services at any exchange in the UK. Since April 2001, BT has stated that it can resource any requests for unbundling on a "business as usual" basis. However, it is a commercial decision for operators where they want to place such orders.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor local loop unbundling throughout Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: Oftel monitors BT’s delivery of unbundling facilities throughout the UK on an on-going basis.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in support of the establishment of a Scottish committee of the Office of Communications (OFCOM) and how it will monitor the work of OFCOM as it relates to Scotland.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including Scottish representation within OFCOM.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that Scotland’s interests are represented in the work of the Office of Communications (OFCOM).

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive is working to ensure Scotland’s needs are represented within OFCOM. We are currently discussing Scotland’s position with the UK Government and will have opportunity to comment formally during the consultation period planned for next year.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Parliamentary Visits

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what high profile or VIP visits to, or events in, the Parliament are planned as a result of the Queen’s jubilee in 2002.

Sir David Steel: I expect that the Scottish Parliament will want to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Golden jubilee in 2002. The exact nature of any event is still to be discussed by the Parliamentary Bureau and any Bureau proposals will be brought forward in due course for the Parliament to consider.

Parliamentary Visits

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what high profile or VIP visits to the Parliament are planned between now and 31 December 2001.

Sir David Steel: The high profile or VIP official visits to the Parliament of which my office is currently aware expected between now and 31 December 2001 are set out below. In addition, we expect that committees, individual MSPs or cross-party groups will receive distinguished visitors, such as ambassadors or members of other parliaments, from time to time.

  


Day 
  

Date 
  

Visit 
  



Thurs 
  

27.09.01 
  

Visit by Rt Hon Dr Roberto Formigoni, President of the 
  Northern Region of Lombardy 
  



Thurs 
  

27.09.01 
  

Scottish Peers Association 
  



Thurs 
  

27.09.01 
  

Chairs of the Gender Committees of the 3 Bosnian Parliaments 
  



Thurs to Sat 
  

27.09.01 to 29.09.01 
  

Conference of Women Parliamentarians (parliamentarians 
  from Scotland, Westminster, Ireland, Northern Ireland and 
  Wales) 
  



Wed 
  

03.10.01 
  

Delegation of politicians and officials from Vastra Gotaland 
  



Mon 
  

08.10.01 
  

Visit by a delegation from Indonesia 
  



Thurs 
  

25.10.01 
  

Visit by Ms Birgitta Dahl, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament 
  



Thurs 
  

25.10.01 
  

Visit by HE Michael L’Estrange, High Commissioner of Australia 
  



Tues and Wed 
  

06.11.01 to 07.11.01 
  

Visit by the Committee on Petitions, The European Parliament 
  



Thurs 
  

08.11.01 
  

Visit by Haldor Blandal, Speaker of the Icelandic Parliament